Collateral
by wordsonpages
Summary: "Logically Jughead and Betty had known it was foolish to assume the chaos they had unearthed, the secrets and lies they had encountered would be laid to rest with Jason's truths. Realistically, they knew trust could not be rebuilt so easily in people that had deceived them so readily, they knew the ugliness they had stood steadily in front of could not be vanished and undone."-
1. Chapter 1

**Hello lovelies!**

 **Firstly, sorry I have been absent lately, life is hectic at the moment and I'm struggling to catch a break...**

 **But I am completely inspired by the past episodes, bughead and all of the wonderful work I have been reading lately. As a result I started on this. It's going to be a multi-chapter story about the aftermath of finding the killer and tying in events I think could happen and things I wish would happen or that I think fit in well.**

 **I just wanted to remind everyone as well not to panic about Bughead! Why go through so much build up and conviction to break them apart last minute? Atm I really think the Archie realising feelings for Betty thing will happen but that won't break Bughead apart, maybe it will break Varchie though. I have a long explanation on this but I won't write it here!**

 **Thanks for your continued support on my work, you are all amazing and I hope you enjoy this! xx**

* * *

Everything was a mess.

The irony of the fact wasn't found in the fact itself- that once the murder had been solved things had exacerbated impossibly further- but rather in the naive expectation they had held that things would become simpler, when it had.

The truth was the aftermath of solving Jason's murder had been as devastatingly realistic as it possibly could be.

Logically Jughead and Betty had known it was foolish to assume the chaos they had unearthed, the secrets and lies they had encountered would be laid to rest with Jason's truths.

Realistically, they knew trust could not be rebuilt so easily in people that had deceived them so readily, they knew the ugliness they had stood steadily in front of could not be vanished and undone.

They had changed. Riverdale had changed.

But somehow, they had still allowed a small part of themselves to hope that the mystery would be wrapped up neatly with a little bow and they could progress leaving the disaster in their wake.

But they couldn't. The collateral could not be ignored.

The night they had watched the video- also known as the night the truth had been uncovered and Clifford Blossom had hung himself in the Blossom's barn amongst an empire of deceit- they had all forfeited a piece of themselves; a purity they would never get back. Their initial reaction was the expected shock and grief, followed by anguish in the ball park of torment. Simple words could not suffice. There was no collection of syllables that could possibly describe the terrifying, overwhelming sense of distress that had embedded itself in them that night. But the immediate aftermath saw them [at least some of them] remove themselves from their emotions and operate on a level of logic.

Jughead had felt an evocation of pride at Betty's quick action in calling Cheryl. Her innate ability to think of other's even in the most trying of circumstances and remain level headed even when she was clearly thrown and shaken had flared a deep rooted admiration within him. It was a sensation not unfamiliar; in fact, it was one he had felt many times over the span of their investigation and especially over the course of the 24 hours preceding the video. She was his rock, his beautiful, brave, stubborn, rock who he knew he could never abandon.

He had quickly joined in or her wit and measured thinking, stealing himself and tucking shaking hands in his pockets before standing. He crossed the room to stand before her, close but not touching. He noticed her fingers tremble as she tucked her phone back in her pocket, but her green eyes were steady and determined when they met his. Unspoken words moved between them- _you okay? No. Thank you. I've got you-_ in a dialogue only they and their eyes knew.

"We need to go," Jughead affirmed to the rest of the group still sitting in shock. His voice was quiet but steady, careful but direct.

Archie's eyes searched his trying to decipher what his oldest friend was thinking while Veronica looked at them vacantly. Kevin seemed in less of a stupor beginning to rise to his own feet wearily.

"Should I call my dad?"

"Yeah."

"What about the rest of us? What are we… how?" Archie grasped at words, attempting to find some kind of coherence in what was happening around them.

"Go home." The blonde replied stoically, her voice was detached and Jughead knew she was just holding on, keeping a lid on her emotion until she felt safe and able to break down- he knew that feeling well.

And with that Betty tightened her pony tail before nodding in the direction of the door. Jughead moved with her nodding to the other's before exiting. Once they were in the hallway, a far enough distance from the Blue and Gold headquarters, Betty paused. Turning her body to lean on a locker she closed her eyes exhaling audibly. Jughead waited before her, scrutinising her with his eyes looking for any major signs of distress. Her eyes opened again and he could tell they were filled with moisture. Needing no further invitation he took a step toward her and Betty fell compliantly in his arms. Her hands wrapped themselves around his back under his jacket, clinging on with a grip so strong he would trust it to hold him up for the rest of his life without tiring, while he had his own arms wrapped protectively around her waist, shielding her from any demons threatening to envelope them. Betty rested her head against his chest, breathing him in and allowing a moment of grace before the chaos wrapped around them again and she had to stand steady among it. Right now she was allowed to be weak, allowed to take a moment to grieve her innocence, allowed to take a moment to feel vulnerable. What they had uncovered was a darkness never to be buried again, it was toxic and trepidation and for a second in that hall they could just be scared teenagers, who were relieved one man was innocent yet completely chilled by the revelation of a killer, the footage of a murder. There were still many things that needed to be said and forgiven but for now they just needed each other and everything else was mere white noise.

After a long drawn out moment of revelling in the comfort of each other's beating hearts and warmth, the pair broke apart. Jughead traced a hand along her cheek, bending slightly to search her eyes. His own were rimming with concern as he whispered "Okay?" delicately.

Betty offered a small watery smile, bringing her own hand up to wipe her tears before running them down his chest and taking a small step back from the embrace.

"Yeah," she replied, not entirely convincingly, but enough to placate him.

"Juggie, your dad-"She began, voice low and filled with a weary concern.

"We'll get to him. The Sheriff has to discover the truth for himself first though."

Betty held his gaze for a moment before her shoulder's deflated a little and she nodded, pony tail bouncing in a familiar way with the action, yet somehow seeming entirely different, lacking in its usual exuberance.

They set off again, making their way slowly but surely out of the halls of Riverdale High and into the night. It was a cloak of ebony, void of stars but with a slither of moon illuminating the streets dimly. It wasn't eerily quiet like one would expect in a scene from a book or movie, where the setting perfectly encapsulates the mood. Rather it was bustling with the usual traffic of a Saturday night. The sounds of tires on roads, children being scolded by parents, and teenage laughter echoed through the air, lights emanating through windows inviting a sense of normalcy. However, it was exactly this normalcy that made their trek earie. The horrors they had uncovered, the twisted plot of lies and pain was enshrined within their minds and bodies, inescapable, juxtaposed by the ignorance of the small town, two battered souls, stark amongst the flow of mundane action, yet somehow blending in all the same. Every laugh, every sound was more distinct, taunting almost. And it was this that made the pair-a seeming contrast themselves- grip each other's hands tighter.

Their destination had been implied. As crazy as her family was, she needed home right now, she needed to be with them. And he being ever the selfless one, even in his current state of mixed emotions, took her to where she needed to be.

They didn't speak as they walked. There was much that needed to be said, but this was not the time. There was nothing that could be said now. Standing before her house they paused. An odd sight it would have made, the couple standing facing the Cooper residence, not speaking, not moving, hands interlinked. The porch light cast a soft glow over them, beckoning and keeping them at bay simultaneously. Jughead felt a pang in his chest at being so close to what he was considering his home [even if temporary] for the past month. It was a place he felt safe, where he felt as if maybe just maybe he actually fit, a place where maybe he had a family. He felt foolish for hoping and trusting; two things that had most prominently led him to disappointment throughout his life.

Betty was stuck in a transit. She wanted to go inside; she wanted her house, and her room, and her bed, and her sister and her mum and her dad. But she was always afraid of taking those final steps through the door. She never quite knew what was waiting for her inside. There was love, but sometimes [a lot recently] it was so grossly tainted with ice and manipulation it made her want to throw up and run. She didn't want that tonight. She couldn't handle that tonight. But she needed to tell them.

Taking a deep breath she steeled her nerve and took a tentative step forward. Jughead squeezed her hand lightly, making a motion to drop it as he began angling his body in the opposite direction. Betty's heart seized at the thought of him being alone. Her movements halted as she gripped his hand tighter. He stopped. His dark features implored her as she delicately interlaced their fingers again, adjusting their grip and slightly tugged him toward her, her head nodding simply in the direction of the door. Her face was soft, bare and vulnerable.

"You need to be with your family." He tried to dissuade no matter how much he craved to follow the warm light inviting him into the Cooper's home; both the literal light emanating from the house and the metaphorical light of the Cooper girl herself.

"You're my family too." Betty said simply, her eyes were pleading with him and as much as a deranged part of him still wanted to deny her, to be angry and storm away, her sincerity could not be questioned, and his own inclination to hold her, be with her and support her was greater. He felt a warmth course through his veins at her words, his heart clenching in a beautifully painful way. Nodding firmly he let her pull him through the threshold.

Thankfully that night they were greeted with warmth and protection. The wrath of Hal and Alice had been effectively suppressed by the revelations of the past few days, having Polly back and the sight of Betty and Jughead entering the house looking utterly dishevelled and thrown of kilter.

They were immediately sat down and brought tea as they divulged the demons they had found. The room was still, collective shock and horror only broken by gasps and tears. There were hugs and comfort and even relief at the revelation of truth before he got the call.

The dreaded phone call that required his presence at the police station.

Jughead fixed his beanie upon his head, preparing to make his way back into the chill of the night. His heart raced as his mind filled with possibilities. Betty rose with him, offering her unwavering support.

"Stay," was all he said, quiet in her ear, his eyes flickering to the people around them.

"You need me." She replied fiercely the determination quickly shielding the exhaustion in her eyes.

"So do they." He could tell she wanted to protest more, but he was steadfast in his will and was not changing his stance. As much as he wanted her with him, he needed to battle this alone and she needed to be with her family while they remembered how to be one.

It was painful, and there were still a lot of words that had not yet passed between them, but there was trust. It was tested and frayed but it was still there. It was weathered but strong and they both needed to rely on that for now. They were strained, but they were still together, still willing to be there and still wanting to sort it out. And it was enough. They would mend. There was time for that later. But this was taking precedent.

The night was dead now. A sullen, dreary cage condemning hope and holding them capture in a day that would forever be a part of them. Jughead had spent hours at the station with the Sheriff pleading his dad's case, begging for his release to no avail. He had called Betty and informed her of Clifford Blossom's fate, and told her he would see her later.

It was later.

The lights were off in the Cooper house, giving him the okay to slink around the side. The ladder he had used to sneak up to his Juliet's room the first time he kissed her and a handful of times since was perched against the brick wall. Her room was bathed in the soft glow of her lamp and he could see her silhouette resting at the bay window. He sighed in a feeling akin of content. The weight of the world still seemed to press on his shoulders, his emotions were frayed possibly beyond repair and his faith in humanity very near severed for good, yet despite it all, despite them being on rocky ground as an entity, she still managed to bring him an unrivalled sense of calm. Through it all she was his light, his torch, his salvation. She stuck by him and even when he was frustrated with her lack of communication; it was always easier to breathe when she was around.

Shaking his head at his hopeless state, he began the climb to her bedroom. Upon reaching the window Jughead realised it had been open, a subtle gesture that meant more to him than he cared to express. A soft smile lit Betty's face as he clambered through the sill.

"Hey Romeo," she teased half-heartedly, her worn out features and sunken eyes, betraying her light tone. He offered her a genuine but small grin at the reference before settling across from her perch.

"How did it go?" He sighed at the question, shaking his head as Betty's heart sunk and she felt sick again.

"They won't release him. He may not be a murderer but according to the Sheriff and oh yeah the _law_ he's still a criminal." He tried to keep his voice sarcastic and low, void of emotion bar frustration. He couldn't fool her though. Betty saw past his defences immediately, recognising the pain within him. She sat up straight, taking his hand in both of hers, ducking her head to find his eyes.

"Juggie," she breathed, her fingers tracing soothing patterns over his knuckles, while her tongue grappled with what to say. There was nothing she could say really. Nothing was going to make him feel better or make that statement any less of the truth no matter how either of them actually felt about FP as a person, what he had done couldn't be denied. They knew he wasn't a murderer, and that was something, but reminding him of that right now would achieve nothing. So instead she settled for the most honest response she could give.

"I've got you."

He exhaled again, long and deep, his body visibly relaxing at her words and some of the darkness extricating itself from the depths of his blue eyes and the chamber of his heart. His free hand came up to grip the fabric of her pyjama shirt where it rested on her collar bone.

"Thank you Betty, for not giving up. For everything."

"Always."

The air between them shifted from wearisome to tender as they revelled in one another's touch and the relief it brought. Although things were far from perfect in this moment, in her room they felt safe and untouchable. Bathed in the light glow of her lamp and the moon, eyes meeting in an intricate dance of understanding and empathy, they slowly began to build their sanctuary higher. Whatever was unfolding between them, this beautiful, unexpected relationship, was growing stronger, it was as if each blow only had the effect of building them up higher, making them appreciate the other more for all their demons and baggage and courage.

"I am sorry about everything that happened," she continued after a moment, knowing now was the time for the words to be spoken. Jughead nodded.

"I know you are. And I know you were trying to protect me but… I don't want to be protected Betts. I want us to be honest with each other even when it's hard to hear." The raven haired boy spoke the words with conviction but his inflection was soft and yielding assuring her they would be okay.

"Okay." Another small upturn of lips, another shuffle closer, another surge of affection, another sturdy beam added to their structure, another beat. And-

"I was going to go to Toledo. But my mum… she didn't want me to come." The admission was out there and Betty's heart broke with the raw confession. The pain was reflected from his soul into his eyes, putting on display the torture within the beautiful broken boy before her. She wanted to take that pain away, she wanted to scream at everyone who had hurt him and not stop until they understood what they were missing out on. A piece of her heart broke for herself too. For what she almost lost. He could have been gone. They could have lost this. She could have lost him. She felt nauseous at the thought. He had rapidly become the most important person in her life and she wasn't sure if she'd ever be able or willing to let him go. It terrified her, but after everything she's been through, the Hitchcock blonde refused to let this be the thing that sent her running. Plus she doesn't think she's physically capable of running from his open arms.

"I want you," she whispered in the small space between them, her hands dropping his to cup his face now. Her green gaze locked steadily and heavily on his blue. Time stilled. The intensity of her words sent his head spinning. His heart was beating erratically inside his chest.

"I _love_ you Jughead."

His breath hitched. His mind whirled. His heart soared. His chest ached, it was the kind of ache that you crave though. A burn that was raw and passionate. A fire that was all-consuming and inescapable. All he had ever wanted was to hear those words. To feel like he belonged, and there she was offering it all to him in the most divine package.

"I love you too Betty." The words were mumbled against her lips, barely giving her time to register them as he enveloped her mouth in a kiss. His chapped lips moved devastatingly over her own, starting tender and firm, and then transgressing into a different kind of passion, heavy and hot. It was love and fire. One of Jughead's hands tangled in her hair while her own remained on his cheeks. She groaned as his tongue peeked out to run the seam of her lips. She let him in, opening her mouth wider and brining her own tongue out to dance. They continued on leaning into each other, hot mouths tasting one another, alternating between playful tugs and nips on lower lips, to sinful strokes of tongues and firm pressure of lips on lips. It was as addictive as nicotine and as essential as air.

Eventually they broke away, breathing heavily.

"God I love you so much," Jughead murmured against her neck. Betty couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. Carefully she extracted herself from his embrace, moving to stand before him. The blonde held out her hand to him, he grabbed it without hesitation, prepared to follow her anywhere and delicately laced their fingers together. Surely she walked them over to her bed and pulled back the covers. It wasn't the first time they had shared a bed. There had been plenty of cuddling after other activities and plenty of lounging on said bed when they caught a spare moment, but something about sharing a bed tonight in the wake of so much destruction and corrosion felt so much more intimate.

Jughead stripped himself of his shoes and jacket before climbing in. behind her. He wrapped his strong arms around her and held her to his chest.

They spent that night whispering confessions and affirming their love for each other. Then it felt like the settling tide. But now they knew it was the calm before the second storm.

Because although they had peace, their surroundings did not.


	2. calm or chaos

**A/N: Hey loves!**

 **So I cannot wait for the season finale tonight and had to get his out there before hand!**

 **I apologise for any mistakes, I wrote this very late at night with very tired eyes.**

 **Thankyou to everyone who has been supporting my work you are all amazing and your reviews mean the world to me! You guys are truly beautiful and your kind words and support, favourites and follows [and just reading] make my days!**

 **I'm not entirely happy with this chapter and feel like it lacks a bit of depth but it got the plot moving so I hope you enjoy it and that it's not too dreadful haha x**

* * *

Eventually night gave way to morning as it always did bringing with it the complexities of an aftermath more quarrelsome than could have been depicted. Betty stirred as the dawn broke and the new light filtered into her room through the still open window. The sounds of birds tweeting and loan cars moving through the streets below filled her ears. The blonde gingerly opened her eyes, blinking as they adjusted to the harsh light. As the fog in her mind cleared she became aware of the warm body pressed snugly against hers and strong arms enveloping her.

For a blissful moment she felt at ease- peaceful. The way they fit together embellished her with an unrivalled sense of contentment, happiness flooding her veins, and lighting her heart. She breathed in his scent, revelling in the familiarity and air of safety it brought her. She knew eventually they would have to face the monstrosities that had unfolded the night before but for now she would bask in the glow of their love and let it embrace her comfortingly.

Jughead stirred behind her, his head nuzzling the junction between her neck and shoulder, tickling the delicate skin with his dark locks and bringing an affectionate smile to her lips.

"Morning," he whispered, lips brushing her skin with the effort of speaking, causing her eyes to flutter closed in time with the butterflies erupting in her stomach at the sensation. He kissed the skin and she bit her lip as the butterflies morphed into the flicker of desire.

"Good morning," she mumbled fighting to keep her voice light as he began to trail his mouth more determinedly down the column of her neck. As the flicker amounted to a flame, Betty decided she no longer wanted to be a passive player in their game. One of her hands reached up to tangle her fingers within his messy locks while the other gripped the forearm that was wrapped around her waist.

"Juggie," she whined in pleasure at a particularly sensuous bite, followed by his tongue soothing the spot. He groaned in response to the noises she was emitting, feeling his blood begin to relocate to the lower area of his body. Betty noticed his growing predicament and purposely shifted her hips back against him so that the curve of her ass rubbed against his groin. Jughead hissed, moving a hand up to tease the skin just below her breast as the blonde let out a pleading sigh.

Just then in the most inopportune of times, the shrill ring tone of her phone pierced the air, the vibrations of the device against her nightstand making the noise more pronounced in the still of the morning. Letting out a frustrated huff, Betty wriggled free of her boyfriend's embrace her fingers reaching for the phone deftly so as not to let the obnoxious noise wake anyone else in the quiet house. Jughead let out a dramatic sigh when she was out of his grasp, flopping onto his back beside her.

"Hello," Betty answered quietly, not checking the caller ID before-hand in her haste to silence the loud ringing.

"Betty it's me," came through the line.

"Arch?" her brows knitted together in confusion hearing the slight panic in her long time friend's voice, prompting her to sit up a bit straighter while the now familiar dread crept its way into her stomach. Jughead seemed to notice her change in demeanour, leaning up on one forearm while his other hand sorts out hers.

"Have you seen Jughead? He didn't come home last night and I checked the garage but he's not there and-"

"Archie it's okay he's here," Betty soothed the rambling red-head on the other end of the call, tension dropping from her shoulders and the calm seeping back into her body.

"Oh."

The line was silent for a prolonged moment.

And then a blunt, "okay," before the sound of the calling dropping out.

Betty looked at her phone in confusion, unsure of why Archie had got so standoffish so suddenly; she thought he would've been more relieved to know Jughead's whereabouts. Shaking her golden locks out she decided not to dwell on the matter and instead retuned to a lying position on the mattress.

"Looking for me?" Jughead drawled, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah he seemed pretty worried you didn't show up last night," she replied gently, getting the vibe something was off between the two boys she had known practically her whole life. Jughead's scoff indicated she was correct.

"Everything okay with you guys?" she inquired carefully, squeezing his hand and tilting her head in a curious manner.

"I don't know," he surmised. Betty nodded, not feeling any more at ease but not wanting to push him on the matter, especially not when they had just managed to overcome the fragility they had been experiencing in their relationship lately. Jughead seemed to be on a similar train of thought though, recognising their commitment to communicate had to be honoured, he continued.

"Archie… he wants me to stay with them. But Mr Andrew's wasn't so sure about how that would work after he found out my dad was charged with murder. And now… my dad, he's not a murder, but he's still in jail and-"

"And that basically means the same thing with regard to your living circumstance." He nodded, swallowing thickly.

"I'm thinking about going back to the trailer," he said after a moment, his blue eyes studying her face for her reaction. She set her eyes on the off white of the roof, gauging that piece of information and deciphering how best to respond, as well as her actual opinion on the matter. On the one hand it would give him some much needed breathing room, but on the other he would be alone again.

"How would that work?" she settled on- facts first, opinion second.

Jughead merely shrugged, obviously murky on the details of that arrangement himself.

The sound of a door creaking open down the hall, snapped them from their thoughts and stoic reverie. Their eyes met in an anxious embrace before they heard steps move in the opposite direction. Letting out a sigh of relief Jughead moved from her bed, pulling his shoes on and picking up his jacket.

"I think that's my cue," he said softly, a cheeky, yet bashful grin on his face as the ethereal girl before him chuckled lightly. Shuffling forward on the mattress she tilted her head toward him, an action he gladly interpreted, moving his lips down to hers for a sweet kiss.

"I'll see you later," she assured, as he nodded climbing out the window and down to the reality below, while she spent a few more moments bathed in the blissful haven they had created in the room around them.

That was the last of the calm.

* * *

The days that followed were rort with tension and high strung emotions. Each of them battling demons they had thought to be dormant for the time being.

Their only salvage continued to be each other as the world wreaked havoc around them.

It started on Monday at school. She walked through the front doors with Archie, already feeling off balance without the warmth of Jughead's hand in hers, caressing her palms delicately. He had gone to visit his dad that morning and told her he would meet her at school.

They had expected things to be amped that day of course, with the revelation of Jason's murderer-his father- being a major talking point. She did not however, expect to be subject to cruel teenage torture.

Moving toward her locker, Betty's face contorted in confusion. A crowd had begun to gather in the vicinity and people were shooting odd looks in her direction. Glancing at Archie she realised he was just as clueless as her and her steps picked up a little in her anxious need to understand. She could feel her breath begin to stutter a little as her nails lightly scratched the skin of her palms, dread twisting awful knots within her stomach and dark clouds leaking into her brain.

Coming to a halt before her locker, her breath stopped. Her fists clenched tighter and her stomach dropped entirely. She wanted to vomit.

There on her locker, stark against the white metal was a voodoo doll dressed up as her sister with red stains surrounding it and slander scribbled harshly in a hue. Biting comments about incest and defamatory words about her family were littered on the door in notes and drawings, symbolic red flowerers pinned too. Her eyes burned and her skin crawled. And then she snapped, rushing forward hands outstretched toward the offending items ready to tear them down, the was vaguely aware of the blood sticky on her hands or the sounds of laughter around the hall, camera's going off.

And then she felt a strong pair of arms encircle her body, keeping her at bay and impeding her ability to destroy the awful sight. She fought against the grasp, frantically trying to escape but the arms wouldn't budge. She could feel her heart beating frantically, a sweat breaking out on her forehead as panicked noises escaped her lips.

"Betty don't. Don't give them what they want. I've got you. You're stronger than that." Jughead's low, soothing voice murmured in her ear. She didn't feel strong though, she felt weak and nauseous. She did feel safe though and his touch had a persuasion unlike any other over her.

Feeling her body give in, Jughead quickly escorted her away from the vultures and into the Blue and Gold room. She was subconsciously aware of Veronica reprimanding the crowd in their wake, but at that moment all she was really aware of was him.

She felt like the walls were closing in and she was being crushed under the weight. She felt like someone was slowly but surely tightening the noose around her neck. She felt like she wanted to run and scream. But she couldn't actually do anything.

Guiding her to the couch, the beanie wearing boy sat her down and placed his hands over hers.

"Breathe with me Betts," he requested. She shook her head frantically, eyes wildly searching his.

"Betty Breathe," he commanded more firmly, putting one hand on her shoulder to settle her firmly in place. His eyes found hers and locked onto the scared gaze. There was always something about his eyes that managed to anchor her down. It was as if she was being cast out to see, drifting helplessly into the current until she saw him. And then the life raft was thrown out yanking her back in and he was there pulling her back on board.

Betty began to imitate the rise and fall of his chest sucking in deep breaths until her airways felt open again. Satisfied that she wasn't going to pass out from lack of oxygen Jughead halted his own exaggerated movement and brought her hands up to his lips, kissing them delicately before reaching across the desk for a tissue. He carefully wiped the blood from her hands before tucking them back into his own in a loving manner. Betty's heart ached for his tenderness, longing to connect with his own as it broke for her and all her pain.

"How could they-"she stated, the tears pooling in her emerald depths of eyes again, giving them a glassy look that only made the colour more striking. Jughead used his thumb to trace below her eyes, gathering the moisture and pressing a kiss to the corner of her mouth.

"People are cruel," he sighed in a resigned tone, his dark features twisting in compassion as he took in her down trodden and defeated persona. "Just keep you head up and your hand in mine and we'll get through it okay?"

"Okay."

The mess continued to unravel further though.

* * *

People had backed off a little, seeming to get bored with the insults about Polly thrown at Betty as she walked through the halls, clenching Jughead's hand tight and trying not to falter. It didn't supress the constant anxiety though as her parents ignored the situation all together and tried to go like nothing had happened. The intuitive Watson like girl quickly lost her happiness at having her family all under one roof as her parents argued well into the night when they thought she couldn't hear and her sister continued about her pregnancy as if there was nothing unusual about its circumstances. Everyone was ignoring the elephant in the room and it made her blood boil and her nerves fray.

Jughead wasn't doing much better in the family department. He was visiting his dad regularly but the chargers against him, although lessened, could not be dropped. Sometimes Betty went with him and every time FP saw them walk into the room together hand in hand or arms around each other he would give them the privilege of seeing a genuine, soft, intimate, reminiscent smile highlight his face. Those smiles always made the austere surroundings of the prison visiting centre seem a little less harsh.

The brooding boy had retreated a bit further into himself, screening his mum's calls and only talking to his sister through emails. Her disallowance of letting him come to Toledo had wounded him more than he cared to admit and he refused to open himself up to any more pain when everything else around them was still crumbling and throbbing.

He was sleeping at the trailer, eating at her house or the Andrew's and at Pop's. his relationship with the Andrew's was still strained but they were family to him and Fred as much as he had hurt him with his comments about trouble following him around deserved a second chance; and Jughead knew he did care about him.

And as for Archie…

Well Archie would always be his brother but as of late Archie had done some backstabbing.

It was a Friday night when the avalanche had finally come crashing down the hill, consuming the couple and bringing them to their limit.

Rain was pouring down hard outside, aggressively hitting the pavement and cultivating a rhythmic drumming on the roof of the trailer. They were absolutely drenched when they had clambered through the front door. The fighting was driving her insane at her house and so like every night that week Jughead had snuck her out in the late hours of the night brining her to the trailer. They would fall asleep in each other's arms sometimes waking to nightmares of deranged father's killing son's and bullet's through head's before the other one would whisper soothing words in their ear and wrap their arms tighter around them until they drifted off again.

The outside world couldn't touch them here, despite it seeming to be tainted by the lack of FP's presence, the trailer offered them privacy and sanctuary. It was a place where they could truly open up, divulging their fears and demons, ranting about their crazy families and cry about the tribulations they were suffering. It was safe and it opened them up to each other. It gave them a hide away in which they were liberated to enjoy the company of one another, getting entangled in passion or simply basking in simple adoring touches while they wrote or read.

That Friday it as a place in which they could entertain their passions.

As soon as the door had shut behind them Betty's lips had been on his yielding and demanding. And as if her kiss had not been enough of an indication as to what she wanted, the seemingly innocent blonde walked him back onto the couch, quickly climbing onto his lap to straddle him the moment he hit the cushions. Her tongue demanded entrance and he revelled in the warm coven of her mouth. She groaned and rolled her hips into his as he delivered a firm squeeze to her ass, just as the door swung open and Archie entered the trailer.

"Hey Jug- WHAT THE FUCK?" the booming voice of their friend made them break apart with wide eyes and embarrassed flushes creeping up their necks.

"Archie?" Jughead growled out in question not particularly impressed with being interrupted in such an intimate and _hot_ moment with his girlfriend.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Betty demanded, clearly as irritated as Jughead.

"I could ask you the same thing," Archie seethed at her, glaring at her position still in Jughead's lap.

Placing his hands on her hips Jughead gently removed Betty from her perch and stood to face his friend.

"Betty's been staying here too. Your turn." Direct, honest and dry.

"I came to check in on you. And what do you mean staying here?" the red-head implored further, his tone snappy and his stance flustered.

"Exactly what he said, though I don't see why it matters," Betty interjected, rising to her feet and wearily coming to stand by the boys. The air in the room was thick with a different tension to a few moments ago- this one dark and foreboding unlike the electric crackle before.

"It matter's because of what you were just doing!"

"And what the hell does that mean?" Jughead was getting pissed now, taking a step forward, eyes darkening in anger.

"It means.. It-" Archie flailed his arms helplessly, "I just don't like it,"

"Again why the hell not?"

Archie squared his jaw, Jughead's tone frustrating him more. Seeing them together like that had ignited a rage within him he wasn't aware of, a loathing feeling he hadn't felt till recently.

"Because she shouldn't be with you!" He exclaimed and then covered his mouth with his hands as if realising only then what had escaped. Jughead looked as if he had been slapped across the face, his hurt plain to see and Archie instantly felt guilty for causing the boy he had known his whole life, the one that rarely allowed other's to see his emotions, display them so plainly on his face.

"Get out." It was Betty's voice that came between them finally. It wasn't angry like he might have thought, rather disappointed, saddened, hollow. And that was worse, so much worse. It was like he had betrayed her. He nodded and made a hasty exit.

Betty whirled around to face Jughead. He was standing rigid in the middle of the room. Her heart broke at the sight, wishing more than anything to pick up his broken pieces and hold them safely in her hands to remind him she wouldn't let him shatter again.

She raised her hands to his face, cupping it firmly after brushing his stray raven curl- the one that made her knees weak in its effortless addition to his attraction- away from his face.

"I love you," was all she said, rubbing her thumb across his cheek and feeling a bitter tinge in her heart at the view of self-deprecation and doubt and loathing in his eyes, amplified by betrayal and fear.

"I love you." She repeated stronger this time, willing him to see the truth in that. He did.

* * *

The next morning they lay entwined on the bed, her in one of his shirts and him in only a pair of boxers.

He was lying on his back one arm slung over her waist while the other was raised above him to rest beneath his head. She had one leg tucked over his hips, lying slightly on her side with her head on his chest, her fingers tracing abstract patterns.

It was this feeling that she lived for. Segregated from the anguish and dull pain that seemed to lurk in every crevice of the town. When they were together, just the two of them she felt at ease, like she could finally breathe again. She wanted to hold onto that feeling more than she had wanted anything in her entire life.

Jughead stared down at her, affection unfiltered through his gaze. He revelled in the soft brush of her hair against his skin, the way her fingers seemed to alight his skin where they splayed, the way she looked stunning bathed in early morning sunlight, pale skin contrasted by the dark green of his flannel. She was truly a vision, a fallen angel, rising from the rubble and pulling her with him.

Everything around them was so messed up. Everyone around them kept disappointing them. But here in this bed, in this trailer, in this love everything was beautiful and _right_.

And then she uttered four words that made his heart stop momentarily.

"Run away with me?"


End file.
